Matrix-setting and type-linecasting-machine



Sept. 12, 1933. w. BLUME.

MATRIX SETTING AND TYPE LINE CASTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 28 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 TTTTTT TT TTTTT TTTTTTTT fiwejaiorx 440,

Sept. 12, 1933. w. BLUME 1,926,934

MATRIX SETTING AND TYPE LINE CASTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 28, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 12, 1933. I w BLUME 1,926,934

MATRIX SETTING AND TYPE LINE CASTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 28 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOP 0 00000 lzwezafarx %/%4 K Patented S ept. 12,1933

MATRIX-SETTING AND' -TYPE LINE- CASTING-MACHINE v Wilhelm Blume Berlin-Tegel, Germany, assignor to the firm Typograph m;

b. H., Berlin,

7 Claims. (Ci. lee-4) The invention relates to. matrix-setting and type-line-casting machines with discontinuous circulation, by means of a conveyor device. con sisting of two separate, movable frames, of the 5 matrix bars guided on wires, In suchmachines, the set matrices have to be lifted from the. cast ing station to a distributing station whence, by virtue of their ownweight, they slide back intothe inoperative stations on Wires extendingin curves through space. On their way from the casting station to the inoperative stations, the matrix bars have to make a revolution of 360 about their longitudinal axis. The disadvantages of such matrix-setting-and type linev casting machines provided with a circulation-whether continuous by-means of endless guiding wires or. discontinuous by means ofa conveyor device consisted substantially in the constructional diffi'culties in the design of these complicated and very unwieldy machines. It is precisely the dimensions'of the existing circulation machines which have continually prompted'the search for new means of providing a machine of dimensions not differing substantially from those'of setting machines having matrices suspended on wires and operating without. circulation of -the matrices. chines, the cast matrices have .beenlifted for example by means of a verticallyislidablecarriage guided in special rails, to thedistributing static-n situated high above, and in the same plane as, the casting station: From. thence they. are brought on "to their, distributing wiresand then slide back into the inoperative station on the curved-tracks of the said wires.- Since, during thisreturn movement, the matrix bars have to make a'revolution of 360 about their longitudinal axis, and in addition have tobe carried from the common distributingstation into the symmetricalhalves of the inoperative station extending on two opposite sides and, further.- more, since the said-inoperative stations are arranged as usual in two entirely different planes from the plane of the casting orcollecting' s'ta-L ti.on,it is necessary to provide a long and com plicated arrangement of the; slide wires through space; The matrixibars travel over such long paths in a sliding movement merely by'virtue of their own weight that the highest point of the distributing wiresmust also be made correspondingly high. [These conditions accountsfor the larg'edimensions of suchmachines. Attempts have now been made ,to simplify, the construction in that the cast, matrixbars are not lifted in a conveyor carriage common toboth Heretofore, in circulation setting Inahalves of the inoperative, station, but the said com I levers-in theplane' of the casting station into two separately disposed distributing stations.

During this I movement the frames themselves together with the matrices suspended in them,'inal-:e arotation through 180. Due to the arrangement 5 of the levers; however, the: frames have tobe'carried on separate rails from the casting station to the. distributing stations.= The construction of these machines, however, ,has again been found to be too complicated, and above allto result in excessively large dimensions of width and height. It is true that a shorteningv of the distributing wires had already been obtained since, of course, the matrix bars were swung up towards two sides, thus dispensing with the wire paths previously required for .such separation of the matrices to be distributed'in accordance with the two halves of the magazine. On the other hand, in these machines; the matrix bar's, when they arrived at the distributing stations, or in front of the dis 8 tributing wires, have already been rotated through 180 relatively to their position in the casting station, and it is therefore no longer necessary to carry the distributing wires in such a curved mannerthrough space as to compel the matrix bars to make a revolution of 360 about their own axis when sliding down. On the contrary, the necessary rotation. of the matrix bars on their path from the distributing stations to' the inopera tive stations is now only 180. These devices, however, failed to simplify the construction of the machines-in the desired manner, and more particularly the dimensionsstill far exceeded the compass admissible in practice. These disadvantages. werecaused in the first place bythe fact thatithe conveyor frames were turned through space by means ofllong levers and were guided on special rails, and" in the second placeiby the fact that the distributing stations situated above' the the comparatively long paths into. the remotely situated, inoperative stations. .These long wire paths also necessitated of course acorresponding- 1 ly great difference inheightbetweenthe distion setting machine according to the invention.

This new setting machine is scarcely larger in dimensions than the known setting machines having matrices carried on wires without circulation. The dimensions amount in width to about 1100 mm., in depth about 1000 mm. and in height about 1750 mm.

The indicated advantages are obtained by the specialoriginal arangement and movement of the separated conveyor frames which have been selected instead of one carriage moved vertically from the casting station to one distributing station. The said frames are also it 'is true guided to two separate distributingstations, .but according to the invention, the frames are not swung upin the plane of the casting station, and also I the long levers, heretofore essential, as well as the laterally extending rail guides for the frames are dispensed with in the new machine. On the contrary, the two conveyor frames are mounted each rotatable about a vertical axis in such a manner that, together with the matrix bars, which are suspended in them and are to be distributed, they are rotated simultaneously through about 130 out of the plane'of the casting station, and at the same time are also lifted upwardly to the distributing wires, that is to say, therefore, they make a helical movement. The distributing stations are no longer situated, as in the machines constructed heretofore, in the plane of the casting station, but in two planes differing therefrom, each removed in the direction of the corresponding magazine halves. Due to these distributing stations being disposed in space near the inoperative stations, quite. short and simply curved wire guides only are required in order to allow the matrices which are to be distributed to slide back from thence into the inoperative stations, while rotating at the same time through 230. These now short wire paths also necessitate only a very slight difference in heightbetween the highest points of the distributing wires, that is to say, therefore, the distributing stations and the collecting or. casting station. Thus, due to the arrangement according to the invention of the distributing stations, in combination with thespecial form of the distributing operation effected with simultaneous rotation and lifting of the conveyor frames, a machine of minimum dimensions is provided, at the same time obviating the complicated and not very clear construction customary heretofore.

A circulation setting machine provided by way of example with a constructional form of a distributing device according to the invention is represented diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 shows an elevation. of the machine with matrix conveyor frames in the lowermost receiving or casting position;

Figure 2 shows a side elevation of Figure 1,

a number of matrix bars being also shown, which have been omitted in the other figures for the sake of clearness.

Figure 3 shows a plan of Figure 1.

frames 7, during lifting are turned at the same matrix conveyor frame in the distributing posi-. I

tion.

Figure 5 shows another constructional form of the conveyor frame or the means'for moving it, in the lowermost position, and

Figure 6 shows the uppermost position, i. e., the distributing position of the conveyor frame shown in Figure 5.

The matrix bars 2 hanging in the inoperative stations 1 are released by striking the keys 3 and slide along the guide wires 4 on to the wires 5 forming the collecting station. From thence, the set matrix lines are pushed by means of known devices, for example a pusher either by the compositor by hand or by the machine, on

to wires 6 situated in the extension of the wires 5 andforming the casting station. As usual, the inoperative, collecting and casting station each consist of two perfectly symmetrical halves, and the same applies, therefore, to the so-called basket of the machine formed by the slide wires. The wires 6 of the casting station,'which are either inclined or horizontal, are fixed in two separate, movable frames '7. These frames are mounted for example by means of the arms 8 and the guide sleeves 9 rotatably about the two round bars 10 fixed to the machine frame. The bars 10 are'held at their distance apart by a cross member 11. In the constructional example 1 shown in Figures 1 to 4, helically extending grooves 12 are machined in the bars 10. The

ends of headed screws or bolts 13 fixed in the guide sleeves 9 carrying the frames 7 project into the said grooves 12. screws 13, it is also possible to employ studs hav-- ing their free ends,'which enter the grooves 12, provided with track rollers for greater ease of movement.

Instead of the headed The grooves 12 are so machined in the bars 10 that during one hit of the guide sleeves 9 or the frame 7, the latter make a rotation through about thus passing out of the lower position shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 and corresponding to the casting operation, into the upper distributing position, corresponding to the distributing operation, as shown in Figure 4 and as indicated in Figures 1 and 3 by chain lines. The simultaneous upward and turning movement of the conveyor frames 7 is effected simply by lifting up'the guide sleeves 9, and this may be 1 done in any desired manner. In the example shown, the guide sleeves 9 are moved by rods 14 which are hingedly connected to the cranks 15 operated by the drive of the machine, or connected, for example, to suitably arranged cams (see 1 Figure 2).

Instead'of the device described, it is also possible to provide the guide sleeves 9, for example, with lower extensions 16 of the polygonal, for example square section, which are so wound that their edges form helical lines and which are carried as it were like hollow shafts on the round,

vertical bars 10, as represented diagrammatically I time.

The effect of the arrangement described is that, during the lifting of the conveyor frames 7 carrying the matrices to be distributed, which, lifting occurs after the castingoperation for the purpose of distributing the cast matrices; the

distributing stations :19, which are no longer situated, as heretofore, in the same plane as the casting station, but,.on the contrary, have been removed to near the respective inoperative stations, so that only short and simply curved wire guides are required in order to allow the matrices which are to be distributed to slide back from thence into the inoperative position, with simul-.

taneous rotation through about 230, only aslight difference in height between the distributing and inoperative stations. now being required on account of the short wire paths.-

Having thus fully described the invention what.

lecting stations respectively arranged in superposed relation thereabove, matrix supporting and guiding wires connecting the stations having their free receiving and discharge ends located respectively at the distributing and collecting stations, matrix receiving and conveying frames constitute ing a casting station mounted for vertical and sliding and rocking movement on. the main frame and normally located adjacent the collecting station for receiving matrices therefrom, and means for operating the conveying frames to move the same from their normal positions near the collecting station to the distributing station so that the matrices can be transferred to the distributing stations.

2. In a matrix-setting and type-line casting machine of the kind having matrix bars carried in circulation on wires, in which the cast matrix bars with the guide wires arranged in separate frames and forming the castingstationare moved up and are adjusted relatively to the distributing wires situated in the vicinity of and leading to the inoperative stations, means for rotatably and slidably mounting the conveyor frames carrying the matrix bars to be distributed including arms extending from the frames, guide sleeves connecting the arms of each frame together, vertical guide bars secured to the machine frame for rotatably receiving the sleeves, means on the sleeves for slidably connectingthe same to the bars so that the frames during their lifting, effected for the purpose of distributing the matrix bars hanging in them, are turned positively at the same time and perform a helical movement through,

about 130 out of the plane of the casting station towards the distributing stations.

3. A matrix-settingand type-line casting machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the vertical guide bars are circular in cross section and are providedwith helically extending grooves, and wherein the slidable connecting means for the guide sleeves include elements fixed to the sleeves and engaged in the grooves so that during. lifting of the guide sleeves or the frames a positive turning thereof towards the distributing stations takes place at .the same time- 4. A matrix-setting and type-line casting machine according to claim 2, wherein automatically machine operated rods are provided for lifting the guide sleeves carrying theconveyor frames and are hingedlyconnected to each guide sleeve.

5. A matrix-setting and type-line casting machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein means are provided for slidably and rockably mounting the conveying frames on the main frame and include vertical supporting rods provided with helical grooves, sleeves connected with the frame rockably mounted about the rods, and elements car ried by'the sleeve and engaging'the grooves in the rods so that when the frames are lifted the latter will perform a helical movement.

6. A matrix-setting and type-line casting ma-- chine as claimed in claim' 1, wherein machine operated rods are connected with the frames to effect operation of the latter.

"7. In a matrix-setting and type-line casting machine of the kind having matrix bars carried in circulation on wires, in which the cast matrix bars with the guide wires arranged in separate frames and forming the casting station are moved helically wound extensions projecting from'the' lower edgesof the guide sleeves, and channel members fixed to the machine frame and having apertures of a shape coresponding to the external cross section of the sleeve so that during the lifting of the guide sleeves a positive turning of the conveyor frames carried by the guide sleeves takes place at the same time towards the distributing stations. WILHELM BLUME. 

